Devolver MaxPass+ Showcase Roundup

The showcases by Devolver Digital are always among my personal highlights during E3, with this year’s presentation being no different. The Devolver MaxPass+ Showcase was the continuation of the “Devolver Digital Cinematic Universe”, all of it surrounding the fictitious subscription service they introduced to us while showing off a bunch of new games. This studio is not afraid to make fun of some of the biggest studios in the industry, because let’s be real, which major platform doesn’t offer some sort of subscription service at this point?

I’m not going to go into detail about the story they presented to us and will focus on the actual games instead, though I highly recommend watching the half-hour-long presentation if you have the time. It’s most definitely worth watching.

First off, we got a new gameplay trailer for Shadow Warrior 3, the next game in the fast-paced Action Shooter series, which looks visually incredible and like a lot of chaotic fun. The game is set to release sometime this year and is coming to PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

Next up we have Trek to Yomi, a side-scrolling Action-Adventure game about a young swordsman venturing beyond life and death to go on a journey of self-discovery. The game looks incredible, with a visual style reminiscent of the films by legendary director Akira Kurosawa. Trek to Yomi is scheduled to release next year, coming to current-gen consoles and PC.

Phantom Abyss is a game with a very intriguing concept. The player delves into randomly generated temples riddled with traps and other obstacles, trying to get to the very end but there’s a twist. Once anyone clears a temple, said temple is gone forever and cannot be accessed again.

When attempting one of the temples, all of the phantoms you see are players who have failed to complete that temple. Each of them might be helpful, showing off the various traps to avoid. It’s a thrilling concept because being the first and only one to clear a temple is likely going to be incredibly rewarding. Phantom Abyss is going into Steam Early Access on June 22nd.

For anyone that played Don’t Starve, this next game might be worth a look. The visual style of Wizard With a Gun instantly reminded me of those games, and I think it’s fairly safe to say it took some inspiration from there, being a multiplayer Survival Sandbox Adventure. It is more focused on combat, however, with a fully modifiable and customizable gun to fit your very own playstyle. Wizard With a Gun is coming to Nintendo Switch and PC next year.

The next game is Deaths Door by the people that brought us Titan Souls, with stunning visuals and great combat. You play as a crow whose job it is to retrieve people’s souls, going on an adventure when the soul you were supposed to reap next gets stolen, and forcing you on a journey to find it. Death’s Door releases July 20th for Xbox and PC.

This next game I already know is going to be weird because it’s developed by the same studio that gave us Pony Island and The Hex. The following info I took right from the Steam page of the game because I think putting it into my own words might not do it justice. “Inscryption is an inky black card-based odyssey that blends Deck-Building, Roguelike, escape-room style puzzles, and Psychological Horror into a blood-laced smoothie.” The game is said to release sometime this year.

Next up is… a mobile game. Yes, Devolver is putting out a mobile game this year, though it’s fairly clear that it’s an entirely satirical project. The Puzzle gameplay of Tumble Time reminds me of something like Pokémon Café Mix, so at least we know what to expect. I’m most likely going to check it out either way, mostly out of curiosity, and because it’s going to be free.

The last game shown during the presentation is going to be released in a physical form only. Another strange concept, but at this point, nothing Devolver does really surprises me anymore. Demon Throttle, which visually reminded me of the classic The Legend of Zelda-Games as well as Retro-Shooters on the NES, is coming exclusively to the Nintendo Switch and can be pre-ordered right now.